Mechanical-action xylophone.



-H. R. 'AULD. MECHANICAL ACTION XYLOPHONE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.20, I913.

Y 1,169,063. Patented Jan.18, 1916.

3 g ::i s: :1; /3 ::|:E ii I HUGH R.,AUL1),"or'BoS'r oN, MASSACHUSETTS.

To all 'wl wml it may concern:

Beit known that I, HUGH R. AULD, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and

v resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have" invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical-Action Xylophones, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide instruments of percussion, such as Xylophones and instrumentsof like nature, Which have heretofore ordinarily been played upon by hammers grasped di- 'rectly'i n the hands of the performer, with a mechanical action, through which the hammers may be operated" by pressure applied to keys.

Another object has been to provide new and improved modes of supporting the resonant bodies or members of a Xylophone.

Another objecthas, been to" provide a mechanism by which a more rapid succession of blows may be struck by the hammers not only of thexylophone, but other instruments having resonant bodies which are caused to makea Sound by the manipulation of hammers.

Still another. object has been to provide an'improved and. simplified form of key actuated mechanical action for instruments of percusslon.

Inthe accompanying drawings, Figure -1 is a rear elevation ofan instrument which I have designed to embody and illustrate the principles of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of one ofthe resonant members of this instrument, with the means for supporting and retaining it in position. Fig. '8 is an end elevation of the instrument. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section on line 44: of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of a mode of supporting certain of the resonant members. Fig. 7 isa cross section on line 7-7 of Fig. &. Fig. 8 is an illustration showing a'keyactuated hammer designed to produce a sharp sound bystriking the sound board of the instrument.

The same reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all the figures. Referring first to Figs. 1, 3, and 4, 10 represents a' sound board upon the rear side of which near the bottom is mounted a shelf 11 or aseries of bars, andon the front Specification of Letterslatent. Application filed February 20; 1913.

MECHANICAL-ACTION XYLOPHONE.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916. Serial No. 749,610. M side about opposite to the shelf 11, a corresponding shelf 12. A series of shelves or bars would be the equivalent of either shelf 11 orjthe shelf 12'for the purposes of this invention. Upon the back of the sound board above the shelf 11 are mounted one, two, or more, frames which support and secure the resonant elements or members 13. The frame at the right hand end of Fig. 1 is preferably metallic, consisting of longi tudinal top member 14, bottom member 15 and upright transverse members 16 and 17 This-frame is formed with posts 18 at the corners which hold the bars 14 and 15 at v some distance from the sounding board a'nd is provided with lugs 19 to receive screws or other attaching members 20 which connectthe entire frame to the sounding board. The frame located at the left (with respect to Fig. 1) of the frame above described, consists of wooden bars 21 and 22, held at a proper distance from the sounding board and secured to .the latter by'spacing posts 23, which are secured to the sounding board in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 4: or any other desired manner. The resonant members 13 which are supported bythe' frame having the bars 14, 15, are thus supported by means of wires 24 and 25, one at the upper end and the other at the lower end of the member. 7

The suspension or supporting wire 24, which is like the wire 25, is illustrated in detail in Figs. 5 and 6. It is passedinto the resonant member, which in this embodiment of the invention is a metallic tube, to a point near one of the nodes of vibration of the. tube, and then passed out and in through holes 26 and 27 in the side of the tube, is brought across the tube and again out andin through holes 28 and 29 and is finally'carried up and its end is secured to the standing part of the wire by being twisted around it. The suspension and anchoring wires are attached to pins 29 on the bars of the supporting frame and are adjusted so that the middle part of the resonant member is in position to be struck by the hammers to be described. I have found that a change in pitch may be made in the resonant member by varying the tension of the Sustaining wires, and accordingly I contemplate making the pins 29 analogous-to the pins or pegs of stringed instruments, which may be turned or otherwise adjusted so as to vary the tension of the strings and thereby tune the instrument.

The mode of suspending the resonant members just described is used for those having a greater length and lower pitch. For the shorter and higher pitched members I employ a mode of support illustrated in the left hand part of Fig. 1 and in detail in Figs. 2 and a. Each of these members, designated 13, is threaded upon a wire 30 which passes between pins 31 projecting from the bars 21 and 22. The lower ends of the resonant members rest on the upper edge of the bar 22-, which is preferably inclined as shown in Fig. 1 so that the members of different lengths may have their central points all in a line parallel to the line of supports for the several hammers. The tubes, by which name I will hereinafter refer to the resonant members for the sake of brevity, do not rest directly on the bar 22, but on a resilient pad 32 which is preferably a block of rubber set into a saw cut in the edge of the bar so placed that only the lower edge of the tube at one side thereof bears upon it. The rubber pad supports the tube without interfering with its vibrations when struck. The wire within the tube has washers 33 and 3% near the nodal'points of the tube for the purpose of preventing the tube from actually touching the wire or being dislodged from the supporting pad when struck by the hammer. These washers are preferably polygonal in form having a small number of points, as shown at Fig. 7, in order to diminish the area of Contact with the tube to the smallest possible dimensions. The sustaining wires for the tube pass over a bridge or bridges 35, which bears against the sounding board and transmits the vibrations of the suspended tubes thereto.

Each tube. or resonant member is acted upon by hammers, of which there are preferably two. Each pair of hammers with their supporting means and actuating means are exactly the same as every other pair,

wherefore a description of one suiiices for all. he hammers 36 and 37 are located on opposite sides of the adjacent resonant tube, namely, respectively in front and in rear thereof. These hammers have heads of hard wood carried by shanks 38 also of wood which are carried by a rocker 39 pivoted on a pin 4:0 between ears 41, preferably of sheet metal, which rise from the shelf 11 or one of the equivalent bars, when a series of bars is used instead of a shelf. Jnder each rocker there is a key lever 4:9 which passes between and is pivoted at l3 to the lugs. It also passes through the sounding board and outward from the forward side thereof, terminating in a finger key let. The rear end of the key lever is connected by a spring 4-5 with the rocker 39, and it carries also a resilient stop or spring -16 adapted to arrest the key by coming in contact with a pad $7. The shelf 12 also carries a pad 48 beneath the key, the sole function of this shelf being to serve as a stop limiting the depression of the key.

The spring 45 is an exceedingly material element of the present invention, and its form and position are most important. It is bent into such shape and so tensioned that when applied to the key lever and hammer rocker as shown, one of its ends being carried under the rocker and attached thereto, and its other end being attached to the upper side of the key lever, it holds the stop spring 46 against the pad L7, maintaining the key lever in the position shown, and holds the hammer rocker in a position of equilibrium with the forward hammer near the adjacent resonant member, but not touching it, and the rear hammer head at a distance away from said member. In other words it may be said that the ends of the spring are carried between the key lever and the hammer rocker, and are placed under such stress as to hold the key lever with the key raised and to hold the hammers in a state of equilibrium with both out of contact with the tube. When the key is sud- 'denly depressed, the rear end of the key lever is raised and a pressure applied through the spring 45 to the hammer rocker, thereby rocking said rocker and swinging the hammers. The momentum of the latter is sufficient to cause the rear hammer to strike the tube a sharp blow and by the momentum to bend the spring beyond its position of equilibrium so that the spring will then exert an opposite impulse on the rocker 39 and bring the hammer 36 against the tube. When the key is released, assuming it to have been held depressed dur ing the operation of the hammers, the spring both raises the key and returns the hammers to their normal position. Thus each depression of a key causes the associated hammers to strike the tube two sharp blows so closely following one another as to be practically inseparable by the ear. By striking the key repeatedly in a staccato manner, or trilling rapidly, an indefinite succession of blows may be struck in such rapid sequence as to give the effect of a sustained tone.

As each of these resonant tubes is equipped with a set of hammers and keys, the Xylophone may be played in the same manner as a piano or other keyboard instrument, with greater rapidity and greater variety of effects than heretofore.

I do not limit my invention in so far as it relates to the mechanical action, to the use of two hammers, as the same or an equivalent connection-between-the keyiandwhamfmer may be employedwhere there-is only;

one hammer. Neither do -I limitrthis key action hereinbefore described to'application only with an instrument of the type of a Xylophone. As regards this aspect of the invention I reserve the right to apply this or an equivalent key action: toanysinstrument of percussion, vwithin which class I include all instruments having resonant bodies adapted to be set "into vibrati the stroke of a hammer.

I do not limit the invention, considered as a Xylophone, to instruments in which the resonant members are metallic tubes for I may employ equivalent members in the form of solid metallic bars of any shape, hung or suspended in a manner equivalent to one of those modes of suspension illustrated, or in any other way. V

The same instrument may be equipped with means for making tapping or clicking sounds similar to the steps of a dancer. For this purpose I provide the instrument with a hammer 51' mounted upon a key 52 preferably located at the right hand end of the keyboard already described, such key passing through the sound board and being pivotally supported by lugs 53. The hammer 51 is so arranged as to strike the sound board when the key is depressed, thereby making a sharp tap. e

That I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1'. A Xylophone comprising a plurality of resonant members, means for supporting said members and a hammer mechanism for each member, said hammer mechanisms each comprising two hammers embracing the member and a finger-operated key so connected with said hammers as when depressed to cause both hammers to strike the resonant member in close succession.

2. In a Xylophone the combination with a resonant member of a pair of connected hammers on opposite sides of said member, mounted to travel in'unison and each adapted to strike the member, and a finger-operated key connected with hammers and operable to move the same in first one and then the opposite direction.

3. A Xylophone comprising in its construction a resonant member, av hammer mounted adjacent to said member and adapt ed to strike the same, a finger-operated key, and a resilient connection between said key and hammer and fastened to both, said connection being so shaped and under such stress as normally to hold the key in raised position and the hammer removed from the resonant member.

l. A Xylophone comprising in its 0011- struction a resonant member, a hammer mounted adjacent to said member and adapted to strike the same, a finger-operated its ends, two hammers carrie key,: ayresilient connection between and fastened,;at ;itsiop'posite .ends respectively to said key and hammer, said connection being soshapedand under ,such stress as northe resonant member without distortion of the spring, :1;

--5. In a musical instrument, the combination with a resonant member of an oscillatively mounted hammer arranged in position to strike said member, a rocker by which said hammer is carried, a key, said rocker and key being pivoted upon parallel axes, and a strap spring secured at its opposite ends to the key and rocker respectively at points on the same side of the pivots of said key and rocker.

6. In a musical instrument, the combination with a resonant member of an oscillatively mounted hammer arranged in position to strike said member, a rocker by which said hammer is carried, a key, said rocker and key being pivoted upon parallel axes, and a strap-spring secured at its oppo- 1 site ends to the key and rocker respectively at points on the same side of the pivots of said key and rocker, said spring being bent approximately midway between its ends and the bent portion being turned into a position making an abrupt angle with the key, where by said spring normally holds the key raised and the hammer removed from the resonant member, and causes the hammer to strike said member and withdraw therefrom when the key is depressed.

7. In an instrument of percussion, the combination with a resonant member of a hammer adapted to strike said member, an operating key, and a spring interposed between said key and hammer, and fastened at its ends to the key and the hammer respectively, said spring being shaped and tensioned to hold the hammer away from the resonant member when the key is raised, and to hold the hammer a less distance from the resonant member when the key is depressed.

8. In a Xylophone, a mechanical hammer action comprising a pivoted rocker, a hammer having a shank extending from said rocker and a head adapted to strike a resonant member of the instrument, a key lever pivoted near said rocker, and a spring connected at one end to said key lever and at its other end to said rocker, adapted to transmit movements of the key lever yieldingly to the rocker.

9. In an instrument of the character described, a key operated hammer action comprising a key lever, a rocker ivoted between d by said rocker,

one at each side of the pivot thereof, 1 thereby causing first one hammer and then 1:) resonant member between said hammers and the other to strike the resonant member.

in the paths of motion thereof, and a spring In testimony whereof I have allixed my between and connected to the rocker and signature, in presence of two witnesses. liey leyer, said spring being so shaped and I HUGH R. AULD. laving such tension that, when the key 1s suddenly depressed, the spring will cause Witnesses:

the hammer rocker to swing beyond the posi- ARTHUR H. BROWN.

tion of equilibrium of the spring and return, P. WV. PEZZETTI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

